Just bought a HRM!

Unknown · May 2007

now all I need to know is a few answers to my daft questions [:I]
How can I find out my upper & lower heart rate that I need to train between? I`m 36 btw [:D]
I`m just starting getting into this HRM lark & back into cycling too so do I really need a HRM?
Is it one of these things you get & think what a handy bit of kit or what a waste of money?

Thanks for your patience [:D]

Lee

vernonlevy · May 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BigLee

now all I need to know is a few answers to my daft questions [:I]
How can I find out my upper & lower heart rate that I need to train between? I`m 36 btw [:D]
I`m just starting getting into this HRM lark & back into cycling too so do I really need a HRM?
Is it one of these things you get & think what a handy bit of kit or what a waste of money?

Thanks for your patience [:D]

Lee
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BigLee

now all I need to know is a few answers to my daft questions [:I]
How can I find out my upper & lower heart rate that I need to train between? I`m 36 btw [:D]
I`m just starting getting into this HRM lark & back into cycling too so do I really need a HRM?
Is it one of these things you get & think what a handy bit of kit or what a waste of money?

Thanks for your patience [:D]

Lee
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It all depends on what you want to do:-

1. Set yourself impossible training targets based on data that doesn't apply to you

2. Scare yourself because your heart rate is too high.

3. Scare yourself because your heart rate is too low.

4. Bore people to death with your ananlysis of your recent progress.

But seriously there's a few thinks that you need to refine such as:

What exactlydo you mean by upper and lower heart rates?
A totally facetious answer would be between zero and maximum [:p]

Sally Edwards and Sally Read define five zones based on the the following percentage of max heart rate (MHR)

50 - 60% Zone 1 - Healthy heart
60 - 70% Zone 2 - Temperate
70 - 80% Zone 3 - Aerobic
80 - 90% Zone 4 - Threshold
90 - 100% Zone 5 - Redline

Exercising in:

Zones 1,2,3 leads to lower blood pressure, weight loss improved musscle mass

Zones 2,3,4 leads to improved lung function, heart function

Zones 3,4,5 leads to improved muscle strength and optimum muscle strength.

You need to be systematic in your approach to using the heart rate monitor. Random zone transitions and intervals aren't likely to do much for you if you string them together. If it's your intention to investigate your own performance or to sytematically improve your health and fitness then you'll have to do some reading and reasearch.

FWIW I have had a heart rate monitor for three years and have used it for all of three weeks in that time. Its use established that I had difficulty maintaining a conversation when my heart rate was 160 bpm, I cruise at around 130 - 135 bpm when doing an Audax and that my resting pulse is 33.

I have an almost unused 'The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclists' for sale - œ6 inc postage. Everything that you want to know is in there including a whole range of road and turbo training routines. I might have achieved my current level of fitness more quickley had I read and followed the recommendations contained within the book but that would have got in the way of my enjoyment of riding.

Unknown · May 2007

Good answer, thanks for taking the time & effort!
Ideally I`d like to see what my hr would be to allow me to get fitter in general ie not beasting myself & so not enjoying it but also allow me to keep within a range that is actually doing me good ie between say 160- 180 bpm. Does that make sense? I live in a hilly part of the country, Cumbria, so have loads of hills to choose from rather than keeping a pace on miles & miles of flat. Said hills do get the heart pumping a bit!
A while ago I joined the gym & while doing an induction I used a HRM to guage a base line figure then that was checked every so often to see any improvement so I thought it might be a good idea to get one while on my bike. BTW I left the gym as I thought I might as well buy a bike for the same (actually a bit more [:I]) than the price of gym membership [:D] and get out & about.

sloboy · May 2007

If you've not had one before, I found in pretty useful as part of learning about the training process overall and understanding how different exercises might complement each other and contribute to a particular goal or not.

It's like anything - give it the amount of attention that makes you happiest. I pretty much always wear mine when I ride, cos it automatically saves my training log which in turn gives me something to review when I feel the need.

Just bought a HRM!

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